**Associate Political Analysis and Communications **

THE OPPORTUNITY

More in Common is looking for a new Associate – Political Analysis and Communications. This is a new role to help advance the next phase of our growth and impact in the United States.

The focus for this new team member will be political analysis of polling information that strengthens our contribution to national debates, and that provide insights and solutions that can be deployed by leaders in politics, media, civil society, business, community and philanthropy.

The role involves collaborating on research on current issues to better capture what Americans are thinking beyond the divisive, binary ways that issues are often framed in our public discourse. Our work has shown the existence of an ‘exhausted majority’ of Americans who are fatigued with our polarized politics. Most of More in Common’s work to date has been long-term in its focus and its execution, and this “deep work” will continue to be an important part of More in Common’s portfolio. But part of what polarizes the country is how narratives are portrayed around emergent, salient, dynamic political issues whose contours are constantly changing.  We’re looking to get more specific on how the values and priorities of the exhausted majority can help solve polarized debates on issues like immigration, democracy, the economy, climate change and ‘culture wars’ issues.

An example of this would be collaborating with our research team to capture insights that identify how Americans balance a desire for controlled immigration with compassion for those seeking safety, security, and opportunity in the US, or how Americans’ views on regulating social media are informed more through generational experiences than political identity.

The ability to integrate analysis of data and storytelling is central to this role: identifying powerful data insights and comments from participants in our qualitative research, and packaging that into bite-size insights that help cut through polarized debates.

Reporting to our Chief of Staff, this Associate will build More in Common’s capacity to produce and disseminate insights with a fast turnaround in ways that speak to moments in our national debates.

In addition to the US Chief of Staff, the Associate will work closely with our US Executive Director, our co-founders (Mathieu Lefevre and Tim Dixon), and will coordinate daily with our 15-strong US team.

This opportunity is flexible in terms of location, with a strong preference to be based in Washington D.C. or NYC (working in-person 3 days/week), and will include some US and occasional international travel. In exceptional cases, remote work will be considered.

CANDIDATE PROFILE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

If the following describes you, we’d love for you to apply.

PERSONAL PASSION AND AMBITION FOR OUR MISSION

You:

• Demonstrate a commitment to understanding the forces driving us apart, finding common ground, and bringing people together to tackle shared challenges.
• Possess a deep curiosity about how other people think, a strong sense of respect for people whose views may be very different from your own, and an interest in utilizing the social psychology and political science insights underpinning More in Common’s work.
• Possess an unreasonable belief that you personally can make a difference in making America a less divided nation, with the humility to understand how hard that’s going to be. Big ideas and low ego!

POLITICAL ANALYSIS

You:

• Are keenly interested in politics and public issues, but you are not deeply partisan. Instead, you enjoy the challenge of finding common ground among people with differing views and those who are disengaged.
• Enjoy getting into the details of data analysis and data presentation, to generate insights from public opinion research and make those insights compelling and engaging for others.
• Have the capacity to sift through hundreds of pages of qualitative research to identify the memorable or interesting stories, remarks and turns of phrase.
• Are focused not on attention-grabbing or clickbait for its own sake, but in finding ways to grab attention with meaningful and refreshing insights that will benefit the public.
• Are a collaborative and strong team member, able to work with More in Common’s team across our core operational cycle of designing research , fielding surveys, conducting analysis, presenting it on different platforms, and sharing insights with partners .At each stage, you bring insights into current political debates and look over the horizon, identifying subjects that might emerge in the months ahead. In partnership with the Chief of Staff, you’ll help build the organization’s capacity to produce and disseminate insights at a pace (i.e. period of 2-3 weeks) that can ensure More in Common is engaging with the most relevant issues of the moment.

POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS

You:

• Are excited by the creative challenge of bringing voices of the ‘exhausted majority’ to the ongoing national political conversation by injecting More in Common’s insights into the news cycle.
• Can build stories and insights from data and qualitative research, creating compelling visualizations, narratives and pitches, working with More in Common’s research team.
• Can support our broader institutional communications such as through social media accounts, newsletters, press releases, and pitching and securing coverage in a wide array of national media, including newspapers, magazines, blogs, podcasts, radio and TV; and creating compelling visualizations of our data for widespread dissemination.
• Are enthusiastic about managing More in Common’s portfolio of public-facing content, including the dissemination of its research, its newsletter, social media channels, press releases, and so on.

This role and this moment in the nation’s history call for exceptional leadership skills. While we don’t look for a fixed list of qualifications, the following will be especially valuable:

• A broad range of interests and a record of impact in relevant areas such as politics, advocacy, campaigning, media, social history, polling and academia.
• Experience working in a campaign, a public relations firm, a polling firm, and/or the communications or marketing department of a nonprofit or business.
• Comfort with, or eagerness to learn, how to navigate complex data sets (e.g., in Excel and R) and create polished data visuals (e.g., in R, Flourish, Canva, InDesign, etc)
• Exceptional ability to execute, with a proven ability to achieve surprising results in the face of strong headwinds
• A predisposition for candor in moments when many might be scared to say what they think
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Eager acceptance of ambiguity—you understand that this job description is likely to evolve, and you may bring other skills to More in Common than what are referenced here
• An appetite for and understanding of public opinion research and insights into how public attitudes change
• An interest in the evolution of the media, with insights into how to achieve influence therein
• Experience with and a capacity to understand people from different backgrounds, to see the world from others’ perspectives and inspire trust among diverse audiences
• An ability and desire to work across the ideological spectrum

JOINING MORE IN COMMON

Each member of our team makes a vital contribution to our work, and we put a strong emphasis on character, culture, and values in hiring. We look for people who:

• Are strategic, rigorous, restless, energetic, and creative
• Are able to think ahead and get big stuff done
• Are committed to a process of ongoing learning and experience of a ‘test and learn’ approach
• Act with humility, generosity, and integrity towards others
• Are excited to work with heart as well as head
• Feel comfortable and excited to dwell on the edge but not on the margins
• Want to be part of an effort to turn despair into hope

Here are some additional things we look for:

• An agile and entrepreneurial mind-set
• A drive to make a measurable difference to society and a track record to prove it
• Curiosity and creativity
• Demonstrable empathy and great listening skills
• Strong collaboration and field-building skills
• The capacity to embrace complexity and find a way through it, taking others with you along the way
• Able to set priorities, meet goals, and evaluate both process and results
• Resilience under pressure
• A strong familiarity with a diverse range of communities in the US
• Belief in the power of a good sense of humor

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary for the role is $59,000-$70,000, commensurate with experience. More in Common offers excellent benefits, including generous leave policy, matching 401(k), medical, and a personal learning and growth budget. 

Application Process Applications should include a resume and responses to the below questions (1-2 paragraphs each max).

1. Why are you interested in this position and at this moment of your career?
2. What makes you suited to contribute to More in Common’s mission and to this role in particular?

Application deadline is June 30, 2024. Application process is below. We are aiming to have someone be able to start the position by mid/late August.

• Submit Application
• First Round Interview
• Second Round Interview
• Written Test
• Final Round Interview

ABOUT MORE IN COMMON

More in Common’s mission is to build a more united and inclusive America that is resilient to the profound threats posed by our country’s polarization. We work with leaders across fields and across the ideological spectrum to strengthen American democracy, solve problems, and better navigate the dynamics of a polarized society. More in Common US works alongside teams in five other major democracies. Globally, More in Common is comprised of a team of almost 50 people working in national offices in the US, UK, Germany, France, Poland, and Spain.

Our work is built on More in Common’s unique audience and opinion research, grounded in social psychology. We promote a better understanding of Americans’ perspectives, providing fresh insights about not just what Americans think, but why. We find Americans’ views are more complex and varied than is often assumed, and while the most divisive are often the loudest, they rarely represent most Americans. Our work cuts through the ‘perception gaps’—the false impressions that Americans hold about each other—to highlight common ground, identify the areas of genuine difference, and reveal ways Americans can come together to tackle our shared challenges.

Deploying our people-centered insights, we engage with hundreds of civil society organizations, cultural institutions, philanthropy, political actors, the media, unions, faith groups, and corporations across the country. We work across issue areas, including in social cohesion, bridge-building, immigration, democracy, climate, faith, and disinformation. We partner with leaders and institutions to help them navigate the challenges of polarization, communicate in ways that reach new audiences and execute strategies that bring Americans together across differences.

In taking on the challenge of uniting a divided America, More in Common is grappling with a daunting problem that has many dimensions. We believe that we have a better chance at success if our team reflects a broad range of disciplines, social and cultural backgrounds, beliefs, political persuasions, and life experiences. For this reason, we strongly encourage people with backgrounds from across the political spectrum (including conservative, libertarian, centrist, liberal, progressive and Independents), those with disabilities as well as candidates from all genders races, ages, religious, ethnic, socio-economic background and of all sexual orientations to apply for this role.

For more information on More in Common, please visit the website.